News Release
No Charges to Issue in Relation to Man’s Fall onto Highway 407 Exit Ramp
Case Number: 19-PCI-224
On September 12, 2019, several calls were received by the Ontario Provincial Police from motorists reporting the presence of a man on the metal gantry across the Highway 407 eastbound exit ramp leading to Highway 410. Several officers were dispatched to the scene, with two officers parking their cruisers in the area below the 29-year-old man. As these two officers emerged simultaneously from their vehicles and walked towards the man, the man fell from the gantry and landed in front of the officers. The man was transported to hospital where he was diagnosed with severe injuries, including a fractured skull. SIU Director Joseph Martino has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that either officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the man’s fall.
Full Director’s Report (with Incident Narrative, Evidence, and Analysis & Director’s Decision):https://www.siu.on.ca/en/directors_reports.php.
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations